AUTHOR'S NOTE: hello lovelies! Wow the response was better than I anticipated thank you for all the reviews, follows, favourites etc! It really makes a girl's day to open her emails and see all the love!
Well here is chapter 2 hope you enjoy!
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Shaken, Tifa managed to return home at around eleven to find her father waiting up for her.
"So Darling, how was your night out?" He asked with a pleasant smile.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," Tifa answered dismissively. There was no way in the Seven Hells she was going to tell him what had happened on the way home. No doubt the police would get involved, and she'd be confined to the house for days, no matter how much she could assure her father that she was more than capable of taking care of herself.
"Well, judging by how out of breath you look, I'm sure you you had a good time!" Mr Lockhart said with a good natured wink.
"Tell me about it," Tifa replied with a nervous smile. She never was much of a liar. "I'm gonna take a shower now Papa!"
"Alright then I'll see you tomorrow!" Mr Lockhart said giving her a kiss on the forehead before walking off.
Tifa hurried up to her bedroom, stripping off her clothing and hopping into the shower, she inspected her body.
A nasty scrape on her left thigh from the slide tackle she had given one of her assailants was the worst injury she had sustained, other than bruised knuckles, she had come out of that fight with little more than a couple of scratches.
She had been lucky, no doubt those bastards had not expected her to fight back with such skill.
Sighing to herself, she turned the tap and let the calming hot water soak into her skin.
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Mr Lockhart was just about getting ready to go to bed when he heard a knocking at the door.
Frowning slightly, the man went to go and see just who would call at this ungodly hour.
"Can I help you?" He asked, trying to mask the impatience in his voice as he peered at his late visitor.
A man who could at best be described as non-descript stood in his doorway. He was around his mid-forties, if Mr Lockhart were to hazard a guess. Only he was much shorter, and sporting a developing paunch. He had a strong jaw that was beginning to droop into the jowls of a man with a healthy apetite. His eyes, however, shined with vigor from behind a pair silver rimmed spectacles.
"Mr Lockhart?" The man asked.
"That would be me," came the answer. "Excuse my rudeness, but it is late, I'm not sure now's a good time to entertain."
"Ah," the man responded with an understanding smile. "Unfortunately this is a matter of extreme importance- would you mind if I come in?"
Giving the stranger a look of suspicion, Mr Lockhart decided he could handle one old man by himself. He stood back and allowed the visitor inside.
"I'm afraid my kitchen is a bit understocked at the moment Mr-"
"Kramer," the man replied extending his hand. "But you can call me Cid."
"Its a pleasure," Mr Lokchart said, shaking it, surprised at the man's powerful grip. "Now what is this about?" He continued, gesturing for Cid to take a seat.
"Of course," Cid replied, still smiling, as he lowered himself onto Mr Lockhart's soft couch. "This is a matter concerning your daughter."
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Tifa gave a soft groan of contentment as she finished drying herself off. She had needed that shower. All the grime and sweat had been purged from her body, leaving her feeling fresh.
Now those mystery men seemed like nothing more than a far-off memory. Who was to say she hadn't even imagined it all? She had been quite tired, and maybe the fumes of the evening's party had gotten to her a little.
She slipped on her silky bathrobe. Its light blue folds stopped around mid-thigh, not that she cared; no one could see her now anyway.
Or so she thought.
As the young woman stepped out of her bathroom, preparing to just flop down onto the bed and sleep, she felt a cold breeze.
Frowning, she gazed at the open window, sure she had closed it before her shower. Stepping forward to shut it, she glanced quickly around the room, nothing seemed out of place, but why did she feel so uneasy?
Shrugging to herself, she turned and gaped at the knife pointing right between her eyes.
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"Tifa? What about her?" Mr Lokchart asked with mild interest. "Has she gotten herself into any trouble?"
Cid chuckled. "Not at all, if anything she seems to have a talent for staying out of it!"
Mr Lockhart looked relieved at the statement. "Well then what's all this about then?"
"I'm the headmaster at a school in Balamb," Cid explained. "We house and cater for children with...special talents."
"This a sports scholarship?" Mr Lockhart asked, unable to keep the excitement from his voice. "She has been doing exceptionally well recently!"
"I don't doubt that!" Cid replied gently. "However, it is your daughter's other talents that interest us."
"Her grades aren't bad either," Mr Lockhart replied, now looking unsure.
"Mr Lockhart, I work closely with Mr Zangan," Cid said.
Mr Lockhart's eyes hardened. "No."
"Mr Lockhart, in a couple of minutes I think everthing will be made clear, all I ask is that you remain calm."
Mr Lockhart seemed ready to protest until a loud crash came from above.
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"You again?" Tifa spat at the masked man. "Persistant bugger aren't ya?"
She heard the other drop behind her, and tried to calm her nerves. How had they managed to follow her home.
Thinking quickly, she assessed her position. She wore only her under-garments beneath her silk robe, whereas these two were obviously armed and out for her blood. She couldn't fight them in here, but she couldn't let them downstairs, or her dad would get involved, that wouldn't be pretty.
She was saved from the decision as both charged her, leaving her no choice, but to take a dive roll into the hallway.
The assassins followed her, one chugging a nearby vase her way. Catching it before it hit the floor, and having a sudden idea, Tifa braced herself as the other came in for the attack.
Holding the vase forward and catching the attacker's arm inside, she rammed her knee into his solar plexis, then stepped to the side, twisting his arm into a chicken wing hold.
Just as she was debating whether to break his arm or not, the other charged, forcing her to drop the one she was holding to duck under him.
Zangan's training coming to mind as they recovered and came back, Tifa rolled and kicked off the floor, catching one in the stomach, then slamming him onto the floor, a technique Zangan called Meteodrive.
With one momentarily incapacitated, Tifa set about taking the other one down, as he came at her, knife at the ready.
Tifa blocked the slashes by aiming at his wrist. She noticed his knee bending, quickly placing her foot on it, she pushed off into a back flip, her leading foot catching him neatly under the chin.
Landing on her feet, she body slammed him, knocking him down. The other approached her, seeking to score a hit on her side, but Tifa was ready for him.
She stepped back, then whirled, swinging her right leg in a reverse roundhouse. Her heel connected with his jaw and sent him tumbling over the banister onto the ground below.
With an infuriated growl, she punched the remaining assassin in the stomach then used her fist to fling him over the side to join his companion, before leaping off herself to finish him.
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Mr Lockhart had tried to do as Cid instructed and remain calm, but the various shouts of pain and fury coming from above was doing little to ease his panic.
Cid, much to the younger man's frustration, was completely calm and at ease. Almost as if this sort of thing was nothing out of the ordinary.
The final straw came when a heavy body thudded into the living room, followed soon by a second. However the greatest surprise was when his precious little darling dropped down as well.
Unlike the other two, who had landed painfully, Tifa touched down on her feet. She had landed heavily, but remained unharmed. She straightened from her crouch, and was back in a fighting stance.
"Dad! Call the cops!" She shouted, readying herself for another charge to subdue the assailants.
Mr Lockhart was frozen in shock! His daughter was barking orders at him, keeping surprisingly calm, having just beaten up two much larger fighters.
"Dad!" Tifa's voice managed to shake him. "And who is this?" She demanded, glancing at Cid.
"I think that's enough you two!" Cid spoke up. It was amazing how his voice, still soft and calm carried an undeniable sense of autority; a tone one would think twice about questioning.
The two figures in black straightened up and removed their balaclavas.
"Man, about time boss!" One groaned. He had vivid red hair and striking green eyes. "She really put the whammy on us yo!"
The other said nothing but the expression on his dark skinned face spoke volumes.
"Uhm this is Cid darling," Mr Lockhart began awkwardly.
"This is Reno and Rude," Cid cut in smoothly. He stepped forward. "They work for me!"
Tifa's eyes narrowed in fury. "How dare you! You set these two goons on me! Why?"
Mr Lockhart pinched the bridge of his nose. His little girl stood there in only her silk robe, the shoulders slightly wet from her dripping hair. Whether it was damp from her recent shower or sweat was difficult to say. While normally calm and collected, she had a hair-trigger temper!
"It was merely a test," Cid answered easily. "To see whether or not you had what it takes."
"Takes for what?" Tifa demanded. "Better start talking old man!"
"Tifa!" Mr Lockhart warned. "I didn't raise you to speak to your elders that way!"
"But he-"
"Regardless!" Mr Lockhart said.
Tifa was shocked into a hurt silence. Never had he spoken to her that way before. Mr Lockhart had always been a loving, indulgent father, never raising his voice against her, why now was he acting so differently?
If only she could have looked into his eyes, and seen the turmoil there.
No parent would willingly see the child they had raised being turned into what Mr Lockhart saw before him. Her knuckles bled, hair tousled and her body shaking as it cooled from the adrenaline rush of the fight. Even now, the various bruises on Cid's lackeys stood as testament to the fact that Tifa was no longer an innocent little girl.
"Well I suppose I have some explaining to do," Cid said, trying to ease the tension. "We have been watching you for some time Miss Lockhart."
Neither Tifa nor her father responded. Tifa continued to train a reproachful gaze on her father, tears shining in her ruby-red eyes. While the elder looked at her with disbelief.
Cid cleared his throat, while his two underlings shifted their feet uncomfortably, even the usually tactless and loudmouthed Reno was silent.
"I am the headmaster at a school Miss Lockhart, a school where those of great talent attend. A school of warriors!"
This certainly got Tifa's attention, snapping her gaze away from her father, she looked at Cid with an unreadable expression.
"Why me?"
The simple question echoed within Cid's mind. Too many times he had heard it, too many times he forced the reply forth.
"Because, within you lies unlimited potential. Mr Zangan has kept a close watch on you ever since you began training under him. He reported that there lies within you the Talent. There is little more you can learn under him," he tried explaining. "He thought it a waste of your true power."
"Power," Tifa murmured, touching the word softly. "I have power?"
"Yes," Cid affrimed. "More than you could imagine. "I think we all need to take a seat, if that is alright with you Mr Lockhart."
Mr Lokchart gave a noncommital shrug, continuing to watch the young woman with sad, tormented eyes.
They small gathering moved into the living room and sat down, the tension so thick, it was almost tangible.
"I think the time to be completely frank is upon us," Cid began sadly. "We are at war."
That snapped both Lockharts out of their reverie.
"War? What do you mean?" Mr Lockhart snapped.
Cid sighed. "Without going into details, I shall say that the darkness that has always threatened our realm has come to the front. Both ours and countless other worlds now stand teethering on the edge of destruction. Creatures of nightmares, beings of unspeakable power have began appearing across every border!"
"Why haven't we heard any of this?" Mr Lockhart demanded. "I'm afraid if you're here to spread unrest Mr Kramer, you are wasting your time! No such creatures have been sighted here!"
Cid gave the man a gentle smile. "Only because we do not allow them to, my friend. My students are here even as we speak battling the darkness! However we are drifting, this is about Miss Lockhart's application!"
"Like hell!"
Even Tifa's eyes widened at her fathers blunt proclamation. He never cursed! Never shouted, never had any anger in his voice.
"I will not allow my child to participate in this war! I don't care about the darkness or your school!" Mr Lokchart shouted. "She will not!"
"I am afraid to say Mr Lockhart, that you really have little say in the matter," Cid replied, his voice never losing its patient tone, although this only seemed to infuriate the man further.
Tifa barely heard her father's shouts any more. Her thoughts focused inwards. Did she really want to go? Did she want to leave everything she ever knew behind? Nibelheim was boring no doubt, but home was home. Her friends? Her family? Could she let it all go?
"And yet in all this Tifa has never said she refuses to accompany me back to Garden," Cid's voice pierced through the girl's introspection. He trained his gaze on her with a smile. "Well Tifa? Do you?"
Tifa felt her face flushing as all eyes trained on her. "I don't really know. Am I cut out for this?"
"Well, that's easily answered," Cid replied. He turned to his two cohorts. "Well does she?"
Rude massaged his jaw where Tifa's heel had solidly connected. "She has potential."
"Oh don't sugar-coat it Rude!" Reno said irritably. "The girl kicks ass! No one held us off that long before!"
"I suppose that answers your question, yes?" Cid went on, turning to Tifa.
Tifa just shook her head. Everything was happening too fast! Too many thoughts, too many emotions! Fear, dread, confusion and yet...longing and excitement coursed through every vein in her body! Fighting was the only time she felt...alive! It was as if it was what she was born to do!
"I-" she stopped, unable to get any words out.
Cid nodded in understanding. "Of course. I suppose it is time we took our leave, boys."
Reno and Rude stood obediently and followed Cid towards the door.
"Wait!"
Cid turned with a wide grin at the young girl, who had stood up.
"I-I want to come!" She said. She shook her head irritably. "When do we leave?" She asked in a stronger, more confidant tone.
Cid's grin stretched wider. "Tomorrow morning! We will come for you Tifa! Be ready!"
Tifa nodded as the three exited.
Mr Lockhart watched the two leave with mixed feelings. On one hand he was glad to be rid of them, on the other, Tifa...
"Have you lost your mind?" He rounded on his daughter, his voice shaking with rage.
Tifa, though taken aback by his angry voice stood her ground. "Maybe, but I can't stay here any longer!"
"Tifa! Think about what you're doing!" Mr Lockhart's voice turned desperate. "You could be killed! Don't you realise what happens in that school?!"
Tifa met his glare with her own. "Its my decision! If you love me, you should respect that!"
"I don't want to lose you Tifa!" The plea in his voice was unmistakable. "I don't want you to turn into some blood thirsty monster!"
"I won't!" Tifa pleaded. "I'm going Papa! With or without your blessing! You heard Cid! They need me! And I need them," she finished more softly, dropping her gaze to the floor. "All my life I've known. Known I was different. I want to know why! Why is it I've always been stronger than everyone else? Why is it I could do things no one else could? They have all the answers I want Papa!"
Mr Lockhhart's glare softened as he looked at the turmoil in his daughter's soul. She gazed at the floor, shedding silent tears.
Without thinking her gathered her into a hug as the tears became sobs and before long she was crying her heart out into her her father's chest.
Now it was Mr Lockhart's turn to be surprised. Tifa never cried, not even as a child. If she fell, she would pick herself up, dust her clothes off and go back to play. That was just her. She was tough, his little girl.
"You really are set on going aren't you?" Mr Lockhart asked, gently stroking her head.
Tifa sniffed and nodded slightly, still holding onto him like a vice.
"Well if anyone can survive out there, I guess its you Tifa," he said, gently holding her at arm's length so he could look at her face. "Then I won't stop you. You just do me a favor okay? Promise that you'll write as often as you can. And stay the same tough, sweet little girl I've gotten so used to having around."
She sniffed. "You won't be lost without me?"
Mr Lockhart smiled, his own tears clouding his vision. "I can try. Now you better go pack. If Cid is leaving tomorrow, you wanna be ready for him right?"
Tifa nodded, but didn't move. "I'm gonna miss you Papa!"
"And I'll miss you...my darling."
And so father and daughter spent the night holding each other, cherishing the unique bond between child and the parent who gave them life.